# There are zombies in your retreat centre

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-zombie-meditation-jhana-grove
- Themes: humour, meditation, children, retreat
- Life situations: retreat, kids

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At Jhana Grove a visiting child tells him there are zombies — retreatants doing very slow walking meditation.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

zombie meditation I called it zombie meditation because it was a retreat being held at my retreat center in chag grve and a little kid went to visit with his parents and he came back to me I BR I BR I br there are zombies in your retreat center cuz they were doing what you can see outside now

## Teaching point

From a child's eye, deep walking looks undead — and perfectly safe.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A child visiting the retreat centre ran back to Ajahn Brahm: there are zombies here! He'd seen retreatants doing very slow walking meditation. Ajahn Brahm reassured him they were just Buddhists. Moving slowly and attentively can look odd from outside. Try a few zombie steps yourself and feel each footfall.

## Source

- [Guided Meditation 21-03-2015 | with Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKvmStEO8kM) (DhammalokaMeditation) — watch from 14:44 to 15:05: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKvmStEO8kM&t=884s

Other tellings of this story:

- [The Healing Power of Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 26 April 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L29H6tdvTqI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 3:54 to 4:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L29H6tdvTqI&t=234s